Questions tagged [books]
Questions concerning chess literature.
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What is the earliest known appearance “Fool's Mate”?
A quaint question I had lately; what is the earliest known appearance to "Fool's Mate"? I refer to both the name and/or the move sequence.
A quick search with Google Books revealed a ...
1
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1answer
49 views
Reference request: Books/Video series on prophylaxis
I would like to imitate the prophylactic playing style of Aron Nimzowitsch, Tigran Petrosian and/or Anatoly Karpov. May I know if there are any books/video series that you would recommend?
10
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1answer
329 views
Harry Potter Chess Analysis
So, I've been reading Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone. If you haven't read the book yet, or watched the movie, and you don't want any spoilers, stop reading this question. Continuing, there ...
2
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2answers
398 views
How do you read this opening table presented in Modern Openings?
How do I read this table presented in the book "Modern Openings"? Specifically, what do the rows, columns and the dashed lines represent? Finally, there are also little letters like (a) ...
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0answers
70 views
First books for ~1300-1400 ELO player [closed]
I decided to buy a few books to start learning chess more deeply. I have decided on a tactics book (chess tactics for champion), a strategy book (mastering chess strategy) and an endgame book (silman'...
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3answers
662 views
A question about chess literature
I am looking for a chess book written in a very engaging style and thoroughly professional manner. The book should be more along philosophical and psychological lines rather than notations and ...
2
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1answer
118 views
Why is Tal talking about 10. Qf7 when 10… N5f6 is possible?
I am picking from the book "Attack with Mikhail Tal" Chapter 1, pg 6. Tal annotates the steps and his thought process on the Tal-Larsen 1965 match.
[FEN ""]
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. ...
2
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1answer
166 views
Beginner book that has endgame scenarios
I’ve been looking for free online books on endgame scenarios, since I'm very bad at them. So far, I haven’t gotten any luck.
By the way, I only know the pieces moves and some other basic stuff.
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4answers
2k views
How much do you actually learn from the book Modern Chess Openings by Nick de Firmian?
How much theory does the book actually cover and how far in terms of opening knowledge and building my opening repertoire will memorising every line of the book get me?
4
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3answers
304 views
Book recommendation for chess engine building
This might be too broad a question, but can anyone recommend specific books that deal with chess engines, including hard-coded ones such as Stockfish, Komodo, and other ones also based on neural ...
5
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1answer
94 views
What chess book or teaching approach is this from my childhood?
When I was little (mid-late 90's) my mom taught me to play chess. She had a book, which looked pretty old at the time (perhaps from the 70s but I could be off by a decade or more). The book outlined ...
6
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1answer
697 views
How much should I rely on an external board or diagram when reading a chess book?
I'm currently making my first serious attempt to read a chess book. While I can generally follow and evaluate variations mentally if I can at least see the starting position in some diagram, I ...
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1answer
2k views
Stockfish is considering a move in a book by GM Mihail Marin as a blunder
In the book English opening volume 1 by Mihail Marin at this position
[fen "3nrrk1/bppq2p1/p4p1p/2Pp4/1P1P3N/P1BQ2P1/5PKP/4RR2 w - - 2 21"]
1. Qg6 (1. Ng6)
He suggests Qg6 whereas ...
2
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2answers
171 views
Suggestions about books to read
I am a beginner player and I am studying the game on some classical books: I began with "A primer of chess" by Capablanca. I would like to continue with these 3 books:
"Chess ...
5
votes
2answers
212 views
What did R.H.M. stand for?
I have a number of old chess books published by R.H.M. Press. I am curious as to whether "R.H.M." are the initials of something or someone, and if so, what?
As I understand it, R.H.M. Press was the ...
4
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3answers
424 views
Which book should one read if they want to play like Tigran Petrosian?
According to Wikipedia, the former world champion Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian has "almost impenetrable defensive playing style, which emphasized safety above all else".
Here defensive is by no ...
5
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1answer
350 views
How to proceed with the book “Pawn Structure Chess” by Andrew Soltis?
Should I memorize everything in the book, or use it in some other way?
6
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1answer
388 views
How do I know what chess books to buy?
I have a lot of my own chess games in pgn format, Im wondering if there is a tool that examines my games and suggests what books I should buy to improve?
4
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2answers
975 views
Good books to learn the Ruy Lopez with
I have a very poor repertoire; with White I only play d4, and though I'm quite familiarized with the possibilities on this opening move, I'm lost regarding 1. e4.
Trying to gain flexibility, I want ...
5
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1answer
143 views
Does the Réti opening continuing to evolve?
"How to win in the chess openings" by I.A. Horowitz states, regarding the Réti opening, that "there is no known way which leads to an advantage for white" which leads to the conclusion that it should ...
4
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1answer
140 views
Guide to using a book
I am currently twenty years old. I learned the rules of chess when I was eight and played on and off for a long time. However, I did not take it seriously. Recently after joining chess.com and trying ...
3
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1answer
280 views
Which endgame manual?
Which endgame manual do you recommend and why?
• Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual
• Fundamental Chess Endings (Muller & Lamprecht)
• Silman's Complete Endgame Course
• Some other book
I am ...
4
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2answers
2k views
How to use Polyglot opening book bin file
I previously asked how to use polyglot in c# with a chess engine. My question then was not accurate. What I want to know is, what property(ies) of the bin file object I need to do the following:
I ...
16
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1answer
3k views
Trading queens in the opening
Which standard openings in chess usually pave the way for an early queen trade in the game? In other words, which opening has a high probability of exchanging the queens in the opening itself? Does ...
3
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3answers
100 views
Are there any books pamphlets or articles on how to train to play at GM level?
CL&R had an article about how Fischer trained at a spa in the Adirondacks for an upcoming match.
One thing he did was swim and also hold his breath for as long as he could. Not sure that ...
4
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1answer
94 views
Did any other language than English ever use Descriptive notation? Which languages have always used Algebraic?
Descriptive notation seems to be limited to certain languages like English, and I found a Wikipedia article that mentions Spanish and French.
I have never seen a Russian book that uses Descriptive, ...
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2answers
228 views
Can anyone recommend a positional book focused on preparing pawn breaks?
Feel free to share more than one book. I'm very interested in understanding better those preparatory moves.
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2answers
6k views
What is the Dorfman method in chess?
On various occasions in commentaries or interviews, e.g. during the World Championship commentary with Peter Svidler and Anish Giri, I've heard the Dorfman method being mentioned. I then learned that ...
6
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1answer
241 views
What are good resources to use to learn how to best use pawns and pawn structures?
Pawn structure seems to be one of the key areas that a player needs to know well to be able to have a high rating.
What are the best ways to learn how to best use pawns and pawn structure?
2
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1answer
195 views
How to use a Polyglot book in C# with a chess engine
I would like, if possible, for someone to provide a code snippet of a basic logic to access a Polyglot book file. I'm having trouble finding the file format documentation, so I don't know how to ...
9
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3answers
772 views
Books on opening theory organized around tactical/strategic motives, not opening lines
"Understand your openings, not just memorize lines" is a common advice given to a club level player. However, most opening books are still organized around lines, amended with some explanations that ...
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5answers
7k views
How to improve from ~1200?
I am not new to the game of Chess. I have been (casually) playing it for over a decade, and I would like to get better at it.
I know the basic rules of the game very well, I understand basic tactics ...
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3answers
166 views
Books for beginners who have hard time understanding positions of pieces?
I'm new here and I found a book called Logical Chess by Chernev. Is this a great book to start if you are a beginner and you only know how to move pieces but not how to develop them? I'm having a hard ...
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6answers
343 views
What was the first “Opening Repertoire” book?
As title above states, what was/were the first "Opening Repertoire" book/s? I remember that opening books of the 1970s and early 1980s weren't actually repertoires for White or Black, but treatises on ...
7
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2answers
1k views
Is it possible to reach master level without studying theory?
Wikipedia page for GM Granda from Peru says:
Julio Granda does not study opening theory. He has said that he has
only read a chess book, the third volume of the General Chess Treaty
of Roberto Grau. ...
4
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1answer
125 views
Intermediate Chess Books
Does anyone have any suggestions for intermediate chess books? Tactics or endgames would be the topic that I'd mainly like to focus on!
5
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2answers
435 views
Who has the biggest chess library?
I once had 1800 chess books before I sold off about 600 of the least-good ones and doubles (I used to buy entire collections from people, so you get some stuff you do not want).
I know an IM friend ...
4
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1answer
211 views
How does the move order 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 “rule out Philidor's Defence 2…d6”?
So I was reading "An Opening Repertoire for the Positional Player", by Gufeld and Kalinich, and found the title's assertion. And I just can't think why after "1. e4 e5 2. Nc3", d6 would be bad for ...
22
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3answers
3k views
Did Bobby Fischer actually write “Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess”?
Did Bobby Fischer actually write his bestseller primer “Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess” (1966, 978-0553130539), or was it written by a ghost writer?
I often ask myself this question because it seems ...
4
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2answers
252 views
Does anyone have a version of the 50x50 article by Nikita Plaksin?
In 1979, Nikita M. Plaksin published a reportedly fascinating article containing 50 problems all related to the 50 moves rule. Unfortunately I can't find it anywhere, the only links that I could find ...
4
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2answers
181 views
Does anyone know if there is an English translation of this book?
It is a book written by Boris Zlotnik. I found some books from him in search, but I'm not sure whether the same book. Some titles with chess course vol.1, vol2., etc..
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1answer
183 views
Analysis of chess by Philidor in PGN
Where can I find games annotated by Philidor in his book in a PGN file?
0
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1answer
287 views
How would I train like Bobby Fischer did? [closed]
As the title suggests, I want to know how to train like Bobby Fischer did, along with what books he read during his chess training. Remember, keyword is TRAIN. I don’t want to be like him, as that is ...
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578 views
Chess strategy versus positional chess
If one master writes a book on chess strategy (example here) and another writes a book on positional chess (example here), are they writing more or less on the same subject?
Do other major chess ...
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1answer
306 views
Chess software for writing books
I am currently converting some of my chess books into electronic format by manually copying the pgn and making notes. I have found lichess study and chessable courses to be useful in doing this. ...
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1answer
164 views
Is there a GUI software that exports chess diagrams for chess authors?
Is there a program either Linux or a Windows program that can create a chess position and save it as an image. That image can then be used by the chess author in a book that is being written.
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100 views
Ambiguity in Text
John Nunn mentions the following in Understanding Chess: Move by Move (2002):
Pawn weaknesses vary in severity according to two factors: 1) whether there is any possibility of liquidating the ...
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4answers
468 views
How can I improve my knowledge of pawn structure theory?
What resources (books, videos, websites) are there to help me improve my understanding of pawn structures?
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3answers
438 views
How to improve my game
I am doing tactics 30 minutes a day, practicing end games for about 90 minutes and analyzing 1 GM annotated game a day.
I can understand the logic behind why the move is played, but I can't apply it ...
6
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1answer
252 views
Autobiography by Sonja Graf
In the book "Chess Bitch" by Jennifer Shahade I have read that Sonja Graf has written an autobiography in Spanish. Can anyone help me locate the book? It could be in Spanish, German, English or ...
